BJP says no decision has been taken to induct Mukul Roy, urges former TMC leader to clear his stand

Kolkata: BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha on Saturday said no decision had been taken as regards inducting former Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mukul Roy into the party as the latter was yet to clear his stand on whether he wanted to join the saffron outfit or not.

He also claimed that several TMC leaders were in touch with the saffron camp and that they had expressed their desire to switch allegiance.

File image of Mukul Roy. PTI

"I am clearly saying that nothing has been decided on Mukul Roy as he is yet to clear his stand. It is for him to clear his stand as regards whether he wants to join the BJP or not. He is yet to approach us," Sinha told reporters.

The West Bengal unit of the BJP appears divided on the issue of inducting the former TMC MP into the party, with some lauding his organisational skills and others expressing concern over the corruption charges levelled against him.

State BJP chief Dilip Ghosh had recently praised Roy as a "good organiser" and said he had made a "big contribution" to the growth of the TMC in West Bengal. He had said there was no denying that the Mamata Banerjee-led party had expanded because of Roy's organisational skills.

There are, however, some misgivings within the saffron party regarding Roy's possible induction into it.

"Inducting Mukul Roy will harm the image of the party. He has several corruption cases against him and inducting him would mean we are also a part of that baggage," a senior state BJP leader had recently said on the condition of anonymity.

He had also said that with the support of the state administration, "anybody could become a good organiser".

On Wednesday, Roy resigned from the Rajya Sabha and quit the TMC, which had last month suspended him for six years for "anti-party activities" after he had announced on 25 September that he would quit the party.

The former TMC leader's name has come up in the Saradha chit fund scam and Narada sting operation case.